Revelation in the Light of Day
by lilyjack00
Summary: "But, Doc, I'm a U.S. Marshal." Matt's tone was anguished. "I'm sworn to uphold the law, but tonight I broke the law."
1. Chapter 1

Revelation in the Light of Day

_This story is intended for mature audiences due to language, violence, and the vivid depiction of a consensual adult relationship. _

"No Light, No Light"

No light, no light in your bright blue eyes  
I never knew daylight could be so violent  
A revelation in the light of day  
You can't choose what stays and what fades away  
And I'd do anything to make you stay

Heaven help me; I need to make it right  
You want a revelation; You want to get it right  
But it's a conversation I just can't have tonight

You want a revelation; Some kind of resolution  
You are the revelation; Tell me what you want me to say  
But would you leave me if I told you what I've done  
And would you leave me if I told you what I've become

Florence and the Machine, Ceremonials c2011

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"Spitfire"

"I thought I told you 'no', cowboy." Kitty Russell's blue eyes flashed, her red-headed temper plenty riled up, as she firmly pulled her arm from the arrogant young trail hand's unrelenting grip.

"Come on, pretty lady, let's be friends. I just wanna get to know you better." The young buck smirked as his eyes slowly roamed over her black silk-clad figure while his friends crowded around, too close for comfort. They'd all been drinking heavily since early evening, and it was apparently high time for Kitty to show them the exit.

It was July 3, Friday night, and the Long Branch had been filled to capacity all day long with boozing, gambling, shouting, carousing men. There'd been three fistfights, knives pulled at a poker game, and a big ruckus started by an angry rancher's wife. Now it was nearly closing time, and Kitty had had about all she could take. The last straw was this young jackass thinking he could make some time with her.

She coaxed, "Listen, boys, it's late. You wanna be rested up for the fireworks tomorrow night, don't you? I think it's about time for you to hit the dusty trail…"

"Aw, it's way too early to leave." The brazen trail hand grabbed her around the waist and pulled her flush against him. "This party's just gettin' started, sweet thing."

She protested, "Sorry, but this particular party was over before it began…will you just please let me go?" Kitty pushed against his chest while he grinned lasciviously down at her. The cold look in his black eyes sent a chill down her spine.

One of his friends chortled, "Lester, best be careful. This one's a spitfire."

Sam noticed her predicament as he came out of the back office and was instantly at her side. "You boys get on outta here now. It's time for you to go on back to your room and sleep it off."

"We don't need you to tell us our bedtime, old man," a large, heavy-set hand complained menacingly as he set his empty whiskey glass on the bar.

Lester trailed a calloused finger down Kitty's throat and murmured drunkenly, "Clyde, don't you wanna little piece of this…"

"You boys hold it right there." A familiar gravelly voice rang out from the saloon door. Kitty released a small sigh of relief when she looked up to see Matt standing watchfully, rapidly taking in the scene before him. His eyes snapped with anger at the sight of the young cowhand with Kitty Russell in his clutches. "Get your hands off her."

Lester smirked, "Marshal, why do you care what we do with this…"

Matt was across the floor in three giant strides. Clyde stepped in front of the marshal, who buffaloed him before he knew what'd hit him. Matt threw a solid right to Lester's jaw. Both trail hands hit the floor, moaning.

Matt jerked a thumb at them and addressed the rest of the group, "Get your friends out of here. Head on back to camp if you know what's good for you, and I don't wanna see you back in town again. Understood?"

The five remaining men helped their injured friends up, supporting them as they staggered toward the door. Lester held his jaw and hissed over his shoulder, "You'll be sorry, godammit. Just you wait…"

His icy tone made the hair on the back of Kitty's neck stand on end. Matt's eyes narrowed as he stood beside her and glared at Lester. "Get outta my sight, you sorry son-of-a-bitch, before I lock you up."

"Come on…" Clyde glowered and spit on the floor, "Let's get outta' here."

When they were safely out the door, Kitty turned to the marshal, a grim look on her face. "Thanks, Matt. Those boys got a little outta' hand."

"I'll say." He pushed his hat back and shook his head. "You closin' this place up?"

"Soon."

He looked her in the eye and asked quietly, "You okay?"

"Sure, I'm okay, Matt." She gave him a small appreciative smile. "But thanks for askin'."

"I've gotta make my rounds." He sidled closer and murmured in her ear, "Am I invited back for a nightcap?"

She answered under her breath, "I'll be waiting for you."

tbc

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	2. Chapter 2

Revelation in the Light of Day

_This story is intended for mature audiences due to language, violence, and the vivid depiction of a consensual adult relationship. _

Chapter 2  
"Long Day"

Kitty stood just outside the back door of the Long Branch, breathing in the sultry summer night air. The sweetly seductive scent of honeysuckle mingled with the acrid black powder aroma of firecrackers that mischievous children had been setting off in the street all afternoon. As she listened to a soothing chorus of chirping crickets, Kitty placed her hands on her lower back and stretched, soaking up the peace and utter solitude for a moment before going back in to lock up for the evening.

It'd been a long, hectic day, and as she flexed her toes tiredly, she knew she wouldn't be wearing these shoes again anytime soon. She didn't know what on earth she'd been thinking when she splurged on them last week. Obviously, only of how awful pretty they looked in the store window and not how they'd feel on her poor feet after standing on them behind the bar for several hours.

Rubbing her temples wearily, she chuckled to herself when she recalled the minor mêlée Harley Suggs' wife Lulu caused when she marched into the saloon earlier today to yank him out of a high stakes poker game, literally by the ear. Poor Harley. According to the beleaguered, diminutive man, Lulu, built like a steamboat engine, never let him have one little speck of fun.

Kitty checked the time on the dainty little ornate watch she wore at the end of a gold chain. Matt had given her the engraved watch two years ago for their "anniversary." They always celebrated the date she'd purchased the Long Branch as an anniversary of sorts, although, she thought with a small, secretive smile, she'd never tell anyone just why.

She closed the watch cover and stifled a yawn. She hoped Matt would be back soon. She needed a healthy dose of comfort after being manhandled by that brash young cowhand Lester. Sighing, she turned back toward the door, reaching for the knob, when a large hand clamped tightly over her mouth.

tbc

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	3. Chapter 3

Revelation in the Light of Day

_This story is intended for mature audiences due to language, violence, and the vivid depiction of a consensual adult relationship. _

Chapter 3  
"Violent"

Kitty's visceral scream was muffled by a large, sweaty hand while an arm corded with muscles snaked around her waist and a mouth reeking of stale whiskey hissed in her ear, "Settle down, now, sweet thing…" He grunted as she struggled desperately against him. "I told you this party was just gettin' started…" Her blood ran cold when she recognized Lester's familiar icy tone, and instinctively she viciously bit the hand gripping her mouth.

Lester yelped in pain, jerking his hand away. "Damn you, woman!" He angrily backhanded her face, and before she could flee, out of the shadows slunk his heavy-set friend Clyde. He restrained her from behind, stuffing a dirty cloth between her lips. Lester hurriedly took the grimy bandanna from around his neck and tied it tightly over her mouth.

Clyde threatened, "Bite me, bitch, and see what happens." Kitty kicked back at his shins with all her might. "Hellfire!" Clyde cried, when the heel of her shoe impacted his bone.

Lester again slapped her hard across the face, and tears stung her wide eyes. "You were right, Clyde… This one's a spitfire. I may have to tame her," he murmured quietly but menacingly. She struggled in vain against the merciless grip of the huge man behind her holding her captive. Lester laughed as his scaly-skinned fingers once more trailed down her throat and fingered her black silk bodice. His tongue slithered out and touched his bottom lip. "I just wanted to get to know you a little better." Kitty's gasped behind the filthy gag when he savagely tore open her dress and buttons flew in all directions. Trembling, she turned her head in revulsion when he reached to touch her exposed flesh.

A familiar voice commanded from the shadows, "You get away from her right now or I'll kill you both where you stand." The sound of a trigger cocking on a pistol accompanied Marshal Dillon's threat.

tbc

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	4. Chapter 4

Revelation in the Light of Day

_Geez, some folks are tough critics! Here's all the blood, cussin', and pure orneriness you can stand in one chapter. _

_This story is intended for mature audiences due to language, violence, and the vivid depiction of a consensual adult relationship. _

Chapter 4  
"Give the Devil His Due"

Lester raised both his hands in the air, giving an oily smile as he took a step away from Kitty. "Well, hello there, Marshal. Come to join the party? I tell you what…I'll give you first dibs…"

"Shut up, you filthy son-of-a-bitch. I said let her go…" Matt pointed the gun directly at Clyde. "Now."

With that, five more figures slipped out of the shadows behind Matt. Kitty cried out in vain behind the gag because Matt didn't have a chance against so many men. One knocked the gun from his hands, and it took three of Lester's accomplices to restrain him, one with a choke hold around his neck and two clutching his arms. When Lester grabbed Kitty by the hair and bent her face down over an empty whiskey barrel, Matt cried out in anguish.

"You want to watch, Marshal? That's what happens when you go around pistol whipping innocent men like my friend Clyde here. Ain't that right, Clyde?"

Clyde grunted in reply, watching as Lester's hands slithered down Kitty's back to grab her bottom roughly through her skirts.

"Oh, yeah, Clyde…you and me both are gonna get a piece o' this fine ass tonight."

Kitty suddenly kicked back at Lester, connecting with his shinbone.

"Dammit, you hellcat!" He bent over in pain and motioned for one of his cronies to come over. "Hold her legs for me. Don't you dare let go of her!"

Matt struggled mightily as the two men held Kitty down over the barrel lid and Lester slowly raised her skirts. Kitty's desperate whimpers and the sound of ripping cloth assaulted Matt's ears, while the look in her panicked eyes tore his heart out.

"Lookee what we got here, boys…" Lester grinned and stroked his hand over Kitty's creamy, exposed skin.

"Get your goddamn hands off her!" Matt hoarsely cried.

He snickered, "What's the matter, Marshal? You act like you're takin' this kinda' personal." Lester slid a probing hand between Kitty's legs as she wailed through her gag in protest, all the while looking into Matt's face pleadingly. Lester raised a hateful brow and sucked his index finger into his mouth. "Jealous?"

A roar of rage ripped from Matt's throat. The two men pinning his arms soon lay unconscious on the ground as he brutally throttled their heads together. Matt bent double and pitched the captor behind him over his head onto the ground, pounding his face mercilessly with his bare fists.

Matt quickly retrieved his gun from one of the unconscious men, stalking single-mindedly toward Lester and Clyde. The man holding Kitty's legs backed off fast. Matt growled low in his throat, "Let her go."

Clyde fumbled for his gun, and Matt shot him dead through the heart. Lester raised his hands and smiled appeasingly, "You wouldn't shoot an unarmed man, would you, Marshal?

"Step away from her now," Matt demanded through gritted teeth, his eyes burning with fury.

"Come on, Marshal." Lester gave a low chuckle and raked his fingers through Kitty's tumbled curls where she still lay trembling. "What's all this fuss over a common saloon whore? You know this ain't the first time she…"

Matt aimed his gun and shot Lester pointblank between his black eyes. Marshal Dillon's gun hand trembled violently as he lowered it back to his holster, and he looked into Kitty's wildly frightened gaze. He heard the two remaining men scurrying down the alley, making their getaway, and soon after, spurs jingling loudly behind him.

Festus pulled up short and surveyed the bloody scene around him. His startled eyes beheld Kitty, her clothing torn and disheveled, body trembling uncontrollably as she wrenched a gag from her mouth. He peered at Clyde's body and then at the unarmed Lester, lying dead at Kitty's feet. His gaze slowly shifted to Matt, breathless, eyes glazed, expression feral. Festus then quickly took his gun from his holster and put it in Lester's right hand.

"Folks'll be comin' soon, Matthew, what with shots fired and all." He looked pointedly into Matt's eyes, "It's too bad that feller drew on you like he did. You go on and take care o' Miss Kitty, and I'll see ta' this." Festus nodded and squinted meaningfully at Matt, who stood staring, unable to move.

Festus prodded him, "Go on now. You do what you gotta do. I'll take care a' this here."

Matt's lips moved slowly, "Festus…"

Festus clutched Matt's arm and whispered hoarsely, "It's fer the best. Go on, Matthew, Miss Kitty needs you."

Spurred to action by the sound of approaching voices, Matt scooped Kitty up in his arms. "I'm taking her to Doc's. We'll talk later." He swept down the dark alley toward Doc's office before anyone could see them, clutching a quietly sobbing Kitty tightly to his chest.

tbc

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	5. Chapter 5

Revelation in the Light of Day

_This story is intended for mature audiences due to language, violence, and the vivid depiction of a consensual adult relationship. _

Chapter 5  
"No Light"

Matt kicked Doc's door open with one foot and backed into the office carrying Kitty in his arms. "Doc!" he shouted. "Doc, we need you!"

Doc hurried out of his bedroom in his nightshirt, rubbing sleep from his eyes. "What in tarnation? Oh, my heavens…" he said when he caught sight of Kitty in her torn dress. Matt tried to set her on Doc's examining table, but she refused to let go of him. He finally sat down with her in his lap as shuddering sobs shook her body, her face buried in his neck.

"Shhh…" Matt soothed, rubbing her back and holding her closely.

Doc's face paled; he'd never seen Kitty so upset before. He whispered bleakly, "What's happened to her?"

Matt's mouth formed a grim line and his eyes grew hard. He could hardly bring himself to utter the words, "She was attacked behind the saloon. A bunch of rowdy cowhands. I killed two of 'em, Doc. Hurt some more pretty bad…" His voice drifted off and his blood turned to ice water in his veins at the hateful memory of finding Kitty at the mercy of those depraved men.

"How badly? Did they…?" Doc's voice broke and he touched Kitty's shoulder lightly. "Kitty, honey, talk to me. What did those men do to you? Kitty?"

She pulled away from Matt just enough to look up at Doc with tear-stained eyes. "What?" she asked. She seemed like a lost little girl, and Doc's heart twisted in his chest.

"What did they do to you, honey? You have to tell me so that I can help you."

"It…" Kitty's breath came in hiccups and her speech was halting. "It's not…what you…think, Doc." She clutched at Matt's shirt with her fists as she continued, "Matt…got there in time. They just…knocked me around…a little is all." Doc caught a glance between the two of them that made him think there might be something more to the story, but he didn't press. Kitty fought to control her panicked breathing, and Matt dug his handkerchief out of his pocket, tenderly wiping the tears from her flushed face.

Doc replied instead, "Well, I can see that you got a little banged up, young lady. Your lip is bleeding for one thing. Let me clean that up for you." Doc's kind, reassuring words made her eyes fill with tears anew.

When he turned to his medical supplies, Kitty placed a hand on Matt's cheek, searching his face, whispering, inexplicably, "I'm so sorry, Matt. I'm so sorry."

Matt's expression was puzzled as he asked, "For what, honey? What are you sorry for?"

Suddenly Festus scurried through the door, wide-eyed and clearly agitated. "Everthing went fine, Matthew. The bodies was carried over ta' Percy's, and I got ma' gun back…"

"Uh, Festus…" Matt interrupted, "Why don't we talk about this later?" His eyes glanced pointedly at Kitty, still curled in his lap, still shaking like a leaf.

Kitty, suddenly conscious of Festus in the room, attempted to pull her torn dress together as Doc tended the cut on her mouth.

"I'm sorry, Miss Kitty." Festus's eyes grew soft and he took a small, tentative step toward her, hat in hand. "I hope those no-good varmints didn't hurt ya' too bad…" His voice drifted off self-consciously and he cleared his throat. "But they sure got what was a'comin' to 'em, you can bet yer bottom dollar." He looked at Miss Kitty shaking in Matthew's lap with her tear-streaked, swollen face, and his eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Yep, if ya' ask me, they sure got their due…"

Doc added quietly, "Kitty, I want you to go back in my bedroom and put on one of my shirts until we can get you some more clothes."

Kitty shook her head and started to protest. "But I…"

"No, now don't argue with me. I'm going to examine you and make sure you're alright, and then I'm going to give you a sedative to calm you down and help you sleep."

"But, Doc…"

"No 'buts,' young lady. You are going to sleep right here tonight so I can keep an eye on you."

Matt murmured, "You heard the doc, sweetheart."

Before she could argue, Matt hugged her feverish body close and brushed her tumbled curls off her face with gentle fingers. She made as if to stand up, but Matt held her tightly.

Kitty asserted in a still quavering voice, "I'm alright, Matt, honest. I can…"

He kissed her forehead and stood, insistently carrying her into Doc's bedroom. Doc went to find her a clean shirt as Festus disconcertedly shook his head. He had a feeling this was going to be a long night.

tbc

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	6. Chapter 6

Revelation in the Light of Day

_This story is intended for mature audiences due to language, violence, and the vivid depiction of a consensual adult relationship. _

Chapter 6  
"What I've Become"

"Matt, what in the devil happened out there tonight?" Doc demanded. "I've never seen Kitty so distraught."

"It was bad, Doc," Matt grimaced. "I won't lie to you."

Doc and Matt had left Kitty sleeping in the next room as they talked quietly with Festus in the outer office.

Matt continued, "I thought I had it all under control, but then I was ambushed by several more men." He wearily rubbed his face, his expression desolate. "Doc, they were gonna make me watch them…hurt her."

Festus spoke, "Well, Matthew, how'd you manage to stop 'em?"

Doc interjected, "You mean you weren't there with Matt? How on earth did you stop all those men by yourself?"

"I'm not sure, Doc. I honestly don't remember a whole lot." Matt's eyes were distant as he tried to recollect the evening's exact events. "I just recall those bastards tearing at her clothes…" He turned his head and looked away as he murmured, "…touching her…and then…" His expression was bleak. "And then I was standing in front of an unarmed man, shot to death with a bullet from my gun."

Doc whispered hoarsely, "Good heavens…"

Festus clarified, "Doc, I was there after the dust'd settled. I saw what'd happened." His expression was dour. "Poor Miss Kitty was a'layin' there…clothes tore half off…" He shook his head miserably. "And all those men… Against just you, Matthew. You was a'fightin' for yer life. Yers and Miss Kitty's…"

Matt wretchedly argued, "But Festus, I saw that man. He was unarmed."

Doc countered, "Matt, don't you dare go beating yourself up over this. Those filthy animals got what they deserved as far as I'm concerned."

"But, Doc, I'm a U.S. Marshal." Matt's tone was anguished. "I'm sworn to uphold the law, but tonight I broke the law."

Firmly, Festus retorted, "Matthew, I don't keer. Them blame rascals was a'gonna' hurt Miss Kitty and you done what you had to do to pertect her. I don't keer if ya' had to kill ever last one of 'em." He harrumphed and shook his head. "Don'tcha' think she's worth it?"

Doc nodded sagely as he swiped a hand thoughtfully over his wiry mustache. "And that's what it boils down to, Matt. You can regret what happened tonight, but what matters at the end of the day is that little lady in the next room. She's safe and sound because of what you did."

Matt scrubbed a hand over his mouth and closed his eyes, but didn't know what to say. His head and his heart were clearly at war.

Festus awkwardly cleared his throat, then reminded Doc, "We got them three prisoners down ta' the jail Matthew done knocked the tar out of. I myself don't give a whipstitch if they don't get no doctor's help a'tall, but you kin go see 'em iffin ya' got the time."

"Alright, Festus. I'll go right now, if one of you will stay here in case Kitty needs something."

"I'll stay, Doc…" Matt quickly answered, "I'll stay. Festus, will you go back to the jail with Doc?"

"Shore, Matthew, I'd be glad to." While Doc grabbed his bag and headed out the door with Festus, Matt wearily groaned and lay back on Doc's examining table, his mind a whirl.

And on the other side of the bedroom door, a stricken Kitty sat on the floor against the door where she'd been listening quietly to the three men's conversation. She was so sorry, so sorry it'd come to this. That Matt had been forced to tarnish his beloved badge to protect her. She didn't know what she could do to make it right…

tbc

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	7. Chapter 7

Revelation in the Light of Day

_This story is intended for mature audiences due to language, violence, and the vivid depiction of a consensual adult relationship. _

Chapter7  
"Need to Make It Right"

"Dammit, old man, that hurts!" One of the Lester's accomplices, a rough-mannered, red-faced man by the name of Danny, complained as Doc painstakingly stitched up the cut on his head.

"Well if you'd hold still, it wouldn't hurt so much, now would it?' Doc retorted.

Festus narrowed his eyes at the squirrely cowhand. "Yer lucky ol' Doc here is even helpin' ya' a'tall. I'm thinkin' ya don't deserve one little bit o' sympathy, my ownself." Festus continued to mutter indignantly under his breath while Doc finished cleaning the wound on his third patient, all of whom had suffered cuts and abrasions at the vengeful hands of Matt Dillon.

A stout, sandy-haired cowhand with a black eye and swollen, lacerated lip mumbled, "That crazy lawman… You oughta' lock him up, deputy, 'stead of us."

Festus pounced, grabbing the man by the collar and gritting his teeth as he spoke, "Why you… I orta'…"

"Festus!" Doc cautioned.

"That's it, Doc. Yer finished with this buncha' scummy slopsuckers." Festus opened the cell and pointed toward the front door of the marshal's office. "Git outta' here. Now!"

All three men froze, wearing incredulous looks on their dirty, bruised faces.

"You heared me!" Festus hissed, "Git on outta' here and don't lemme catch you back in Dodge City ever agin…" He squinted one eye at them and lowered his voice, his hand hovering near his gun, "…iffin you know what's good for ya'."

The men gawked at each other, then sprang up, grabbing their hats and hightailing it out the door as fast as their legs would carry them.

"What in heaven's name…?" Doc's expression was bewildered. "Festus, you just gonna' let those criminals go free?"

"Well, Doc, them three boys there could cause us a heap o' troubles," Festus bitterly explained. "Best they disappear for good. Matthew and Miss Kitty done suffered their share a' troubles tonight, by my reckonin', and they don't need no more. Don't you agree?"

"Yes…" Doc bowed his head and grunted thoughtfully. "Yes, Festus, I'm afraid you are absolutely right."

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"Come on in, Sam," called Kitty through her bedroom door. A few minutes earlier she'd asked him to bring her a trunk she had stored downstairs in the cellar.

She heard the door open and said, "Thanks, Sam, you can put it over here."

When there was no answer from her trusted bartender, she turned around with the shirtwaist she'd been folding in her arms. It was Doc who stood in the doorway, staring at the piles of clothing and personal items she was hurriedly packing into trunks. "Kitty…" he finally managed to utter. "What are you doing?"

Caught. She'd been desperately hoping to slip out of town without a scene. "Doc, I…" Her voice trailed off because she didn't really know what to say.

She'd made her heart-rending decision at sunrise after fitfully tossing and turning all night long in spite of Doc's sleeping powders. The thoughts racing through her mind were inconceivable to Kitty. Matt Dillon had broken the law. For her. He'd jeopardized his badge and his livelihood to protect her. She just couldn't live with that. She needed to leave, to get away so that this would never happen again.

Doc pleaded, "Kitty, honey, this is not the answer."

Kitty's eyes filled with tears and she hurriedly turned away. "Of course it's the answer, Doc."

"What do you mean?" Doc removed his hat and scratched his head, looking at the jumble of petticoats and shoes and silk dresses in open trunks around the room.

"You know what happened out back last night, Doc." Kitty's bitter voice broke as she continued, "I'm…I'm a liability."

"A liabil-…" he sputtered. "Young lady, that's ridiculous. Do you know how much Matt Dillon cares for you?"

Her answer was a mere whisper, "Yes…"

"Then how can you leave?"

"The question is, 'How can I stay?'" she replied wistfully. "You know how much Matt's job means to him. I messed up last night, Doc."

"You? What in tarnation do you mean?" he countered. "You didn't do anything wrong!"

"I knew those cowhands were trouble." Her fingers absently traced a lustrous pearl button on the folded shirtwaist in her hands. A shiver ran down her back as it evoked vile memories of the previous evening –of silk fabric and jeweled buttons brutally torn from her body…and coarse hands touching her where no man but Matt was ever allowed to touch her. Her eyes were distant and her voice seemed to come from a faraway place. "I knew that man was on the warpath. I should've been more cautious."

Beyond frustrated, Doc retorted, "Well, if that isn't the most convoluted bit of reasoning I've heard in a long time!"

She whirled to face him. "Doc, if Matt's career were to be destroyed because of me, I could never live with myself."

He desperately implored, "Kitty, you can't…"

"Doc, I don't wanna' talk about it anymore. I'm leaving first thing in the morning. Don't you worry about me. I'll be alright." Kitty Russell busily resumed packing her things, her expression resolute.

Doc scrubbed a hand wearily over his face, then turned and shut the door softly behind him.

tbc

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	8. Chapter 8

Revelation in the Light of Day

_This story is intended for mature audiences due to language, violence, and the vivid depiction of a consensual adult relationship. _

Chapter 8  
"What Stays and What Fades Away"

It was nearly twilight, and the rhythmic buzzing song of the cicadas had reached nearly deafening proportions by the time Festus located the marshal down by the river, in an isolated spot he knew Matthew sometimes went to think. Only Festus knew where to look for him on these rare occasions, just in case there was an emergency requiring the marshal's immediate attention. Festus spied him slouching under a gnarled cottonwood tree, chewing on a thumbnail while staring vacantly into the water. Wordlessly sitting beside his friend, Festus picked a blade of grass and stuck it between his teeth.

Finally he said, "I been lookin' all over fer you." A scolding mockingbird on a nearby tree branch seemed to join in Festus's gentle reproach.

Matt answered quietly, "Looks like you found me, Festus."

"Yep, I shore did. And it's a good thing, too." Festus squinted knowingly at his friend. "Yer lookin' lower than a snake's belly right about now."

Matt only grunted in reply.

"Lookee here what Percy Crump done give me." Festus reached into his vest pocket and pulled out a tiny pearl-handled pistol, its barrel only a couple of inches long. "You know where he found it?"

Matt's eyes widened in surprise as he waited for Festus to explain.

"He found it in that good-fer-nuthin' blackhearted devil's pocket, that Lester feller. I reckon he prob'ly stolt it." Festus popped the chamber open. "And it's loaded, too."

Matt sighed, "Now, Festus, what difference does that make? Lester never drew on me. That pistol was still in his pocket, wasn't it?"

"I reckon so, but it means somethin', that ornery cuss bein' armed and all. His intentions was not honorable a'tall, iffin ya' ask me," he fumed.

"Oh, I can assure you, Festus, that his intentions were not honorable, not one whit." Matt had to look away from his friend as he spoke."You saw Kitty. You saw exactly what his intentions were…"

"And you had to stop 'im, Matthew. That's all there is to it. You didn't have nary a choice in the matter."

"I stopped him all right…" Matt ran a hand through his dark hair in frustration. "And I broke the law when I did it."

"Now you listen here ta' me, Matthew. You went and did what you had ta' do to pertect Miss Kitty. Could you live with yerself iffin' you hadn't, and somethin' bad had happened to her?" Festus's tone was indignant. "What if that Lester feller had gone and pulled this here little pearl-handled pistol outta' his pocket and hurt her?"

Matt threw a rock into the river and absently watched the ripples moving outward on the glassy surface of the water.

Festus continued, "And there ain't a jury in Kansas what would convict you fer doin' what you did. So there." He angrily swatted at a mosquito and glared at Matt, daring him to disagree.

Matt quietly posed, "Festus, do you honestly think I could put Kitty on the stand to defend my actions? I could never put her through the humiliation of telling a courtroom full of people what happened to her last night." He resolutely pitched another rock into the river. "I'd go to jail first."

"Well, Matthew, you don't have to do that now, do you? Her secret is safe with me." Festus looked straight into Matt's eyes, "It's all fer the best, now, ain't it?"

Matt looked up at the sky, where stars were beginning to appear one by one. He couldn't argue with Festus's reasoning.

"Matthew, I gotta tell you somethin' else. Doc done sent me to find you and tell you that Miss Kitty is aimin' ta' leave town tomorrow mornin'."

"Leave town?"

"Yep, fer good…that's what he done said. He says she's purty upset that you done broke the law fer her sake." Festus squinted meaningfully at his friend. "Seems like you two think kindly the same now, don't it?"

Matt rose quickly, dusting off his seat. "I gotta' go, Festus."

"That's what I figgered you'd say." The corners of his mouth curved up."You tell Miss Kitty fer me that she cain't leave us, you hear?"

"I will, Festus." Matt put on his hat. "And thanks."

"Anytime, Matthew," he answered as he watched the marshal hurriedly head back to town. "Anytime…"

tbc

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	9. Chapter 9

Revelation in the Light of Day

_This story is intended for mature audiences due to language, violence, and the vivid depiction of a consensual adult relationship. Many thanks to Judy for beta-reading and Peaches & singerme for vast encouragement, plus an anonymous Gunsmokegang Proboard member who issued the "Front Street Fourth" challenge. I hope I meet it adequately._

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Chapter 9  
"What You Want Me to Say"

Under cover of darkness, Kitty, dressed only in a gossamer white summer nightgown, slipped out her bedroom window onto the Long Branch balcony and spread out a quilt to sit on. Earlier in the day, she'd stood wistfully looking out at all the townspeople heading down Front Street to the riverside for the annual Fourth of July picnic and fireworks show-happy families and couples and friends…everyone, it seemed, except her. She was too utterly miserable to go anywhere, to be with anyone. She'd made a decision that was breaking her heart, but truly didn't know what else to do.

She was completely exhausted after tossing and turning sleeplessly last night and then packing her belongings into trunks all day. Waiting in the sultry July evening air for the fireworks to begin, she recalled that she and Matt had watched them from out here last year, and the memory made her heart ache that much more. She smoothed her nightgown over her legs and opened the silk fan she'd brought out with her to ward off the summer heat, closing her eyes and remembering how Matt had kissed her a year ago at the end of the fireworks display. They'd crept back inside the window and made slow, hungry, passionate love all night long. The tears that'd been burning her eyes all evening finally made their escape and rolled down her cheeks unchecked in the privacy of her balcony haven.

"Kitty? You out here?"

She started at the familiar deep voice, hurriedly dashing away the tears streaming down her face with the back of one hand as Matt awkwardly folded his large frame to fit through the window and sit beside her on the quilt. They sat wordlessly for a time, looking up at the stars in the nighttime sky to the accompaniment of a nocturnal chorus of crickets and frogs. Matt was the first to break the silence. "I hear you're leavin' town."

Kitty looked away, anxiously worrying a long lock of red hair, and answered quietly, "It's the only thing I can do, Matt."

"The only thing you can do? What do you mean, honey?"

At the sound of his familiar endearment, the tears coursed down her cheeks anew. Matt's heart squeezed in his chest at the sight, and he reached to gently pull Kitty into his lap. She laid her head on his shoulder and cried soundlessly while Matt stroked the freshly-brushed hair tumbling unbound down her back. "Why do you think you have to leave, Kitty?"

"Matt, you know why. You…" Her breath caught in her throat and she struggled to speak, "You broke the law last night. And it was all because of me."

As he felt her tears wet his shirtfront, Matt's voice became gruff with emotion, "It wasn't your fault, Kitten. Those men died because of their own actions."

"But your job, your badge was jeopardized."

"Kitty, Festus showed me something a little while ago. It was a gun that Percy Crump found on Lester's body." He used the back of his fingers to softly brush the wetness from her hot, tear-stained cheek. "I would never have forgiven myself if anything had happened to you."

She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed hard as he wound his fingers tightly through her shining hair. He affirmed, "I feel like I did what I had to do, under the circumstances…"

"But you're not worried that…?"

"Kitty, we're lucky to have awful good friends who've got our backs." Matt took off his hat and ran his fingers through his hair thoughtfully. "I don't think anything will come of this. It's over and done with."

"But, Matt, I…"

"Please, Kitty…" Matt pulled back and gazed into her liquid sapphire eyes. "Don't leave me."

A sob escaped from Kitty's throat as she choked out the words, "I don't want to leave you, Matt."

He asserted quietly, "If you leave me, then those bastards win. Don't let them do that to us."

Kitty's eyes were pleading, "But, Matt, what if it happens again? I don't want you to lose your job over me. I don't want you to hate me for…"

Matt took her chin firmly in his hand and soothed, "Aw, sweetheart, I could never hate you." He dug a worn cotton handkerchief out of his pocket to wipe her eyes and blow her nose. "Kitty, I made my choice last night. I think it's pretty obvious you're more important to me than the badge. As for the future, what happens, happens. But I don't want a future without you in it."

"But…"

"No 'buts', Kitty." He brushed his fingers through her red tresses, capturing her lips in a slow, gentle kiss, then continued in a low, hoarse voice, "I love you and I can't do without you, Kitty."

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she breathed, "Oh, Matt, I love you so much it hurts sometimes."

He whispered in her ear, "So you're gonna' stay here in Dodge with me, right?"

"I'll stay if you want me, Matt."

"Oh, honey, I want you all right. More than you'll ever know. You can believe that."

Her eyes shone brightly at his words and she pecked him tenderly on the cheek.

"Oh," he added with sparkling eyes, "Festus says to be sure and tell you that you can't leave us."

She chuckled and then gave him a quick peck on the lips. "He does, huh?"

"Yep." He kissed her temple, then her cheek and the corner of her mouth, taking great care not to hurt her cut lip.

She murmured distractedly, "You wanna give him the good news or should I?"

His reply was muffled as his mouth traced its way down her throat to her shoulder. "Can't it wait? I'm a little busy right now."

His big, yet infinitely gentle hands stroked her back through her silky nightgown, but in spite of his care, she gave a small start when he touched a sore spot. He pulled back and gazed into her eyes with concern.

"It's nothing, Matt…" she began.

His hands tugged at her nightgown. "Take this off, Kitty. Let me see."

Eyes widening, Kitty folded her arms protectively across her chest. "Not out here, Matt."

"Come on, honey. It's dark, and nobody is here to see. The fireworks will be starting any minute now so everybody and their brother, except you and me, is down by the river. Raise your arms for me."

A blush crept across her cheeks as she obliged him. He pulled the nightgown over her head, leaving her naked in his lap. A hiss escaped through his teeth as he saw the bruises that Lester and his men had left behind, standing out in stark contrast to her pale skin. "Aw, honey…" he murmured, kissing her wrists, her shoulders and arms…anywhere that those devils had left their marks behind on her tender skin. Tears silently slipped from the corners of her eyes as she submitted to his tender ministrations.

His hand cupped one heavy breast while his head dipped low to suckle her rosy nipple in his warm mouth. She arched her back, cradling his head and moaning quietly as she pressed him to her straining bosom. His fingertips traced infinitesimally down her bare side, following the curve of her hip, to caress her soft, round bottom. But when Matt's hand slipped eagerly between Kitty's warm legs, she unintentionally flinched and shied away.

"Oh, sweetheart," he spoke calmly. "I didn't mean to…"

Her voice trembled a bit at the unexpected memories whirling in her head, "It's okay, Matt…"

"No, it's not okay. I don't want to upset you."

"You're not upsetting me, Matt. I just keep remembering…" Her eyes became distant as she continued in a faint voice, "…what those men did to me…"

"No, Kitty…" He cupped her chin in his hand as his eyes bore into hers. "This is me, not them. Don't let them take this away from us. I want to help you forget." Matt tenderly laid her back on the soft quilt, making her gasp when he wrapped one of her long legs over his shoulder, exposing herself fully to him. He kissed his way insistently down her silky inner thigh until he built a slow fire, low in her belly, burning for the touch of Matt Dillon on her quivering flesh. She became vaguely aware of the explosion of fireworks mounting in the black sky while Matt's hot breath on her bare skin made her hips grind wantonly beneath him.

He glanced up into her beautiful, flushed face, her breasts heaving enticingly before him, and murmured, "You belong to me, Kitty, you hear? You just forget about those men. I want you to remember only this."

Then his warm, insistent tongue washed away Lester's foul touch and his soft, suckling lips kissed away that devil's memory. All she knew at that moment was Matt's touch and Matt's love for her as he ardently pleasured her until her body begged for release. She felt his breath on her dripping sex as he murmured "My sweet, sweet girl…" Her fingers desperately wound in his curly mop of hair, pressing him closer to her molten center until she felt herself flying apart into tiny pieces and she heard her own voice cry out over and over as each wave of ecstasy passed over her body.

She lay trembling with Matt's head lying on her damp, curly mound, a satisfied smile curving the corners of his lips, while her fingers curled around a heavy lock of hair that fell across his forehead. The impressive fireworks display continued in the dark sky-beautiful, blossoming explosions of red and blue and yellow, and she wearily chuckled.

"What?" Matt urged.

"I always heard there was supposed to be fireworks when you…"

Matt laughed loudly. "Yeah, me too. There's a first time for everything, I guess."

He got a mischievous look in his eye as he began kissing his way slowly up her belly, his tongue tracing wet circles around each straining pink rosebud. She groaned as he hovered over her and reiterated, "You're mine, Kathleen Russell. You're not going anywhere. You're staying right here in Dodge, with me…"

Reaching down to help unbutton his pants and release his straining erection, she then spread her legs for him, wrapping them around his middle. His hard length slipped easily inside her welcoming opening, and she gave another shuddering sigh as he glided slowly in and out of her body.

As he thrust his hips over her, he looked piercingly into her eyes. Kitty raised a delicate brow and declared breathlessly, "You keep looking at me like that, Marshal Dillon, and you're gonna make me come again."

"Oh, I hope so, pretty lady." His fingers slid down between them to fondle her most sensitive spot that only Matt knew about, making her gasp and shamelessly grind against his hand.

"God, Matt, right there…" And then she felt herself flying apart again…white lights exploding like flowering July fireworks behind her eyes as her body seized within and without, embracing Matt's hardness with tremulous silken muscles that made him come hotly inside her, a muffled groan escaping his lips.

He rolled to her side, blowing out an enormous breath, and looked up at the colorful celebratory display in the sky. "Oh, woman, you are definitely gonna kill me one of these days…" He wrapped a hand around her waist and pulled her naked body into a spooning position flush against him.

She raised an arm behind her to wrap around his damp neck and kissed his cheek softly. "Not if you do me in first, big man…"

He brushed the hair out of her face and his breath tickled her ear as he whispered, "You promise you aren't going anywhere?"

"I promise I'm staying right here with you, Cowboy." She turned her head and locked her gaze with his. "Where else would I go?"

He caressed her soft belly as he murmured, "Nowhere…cause you belong here with me…"

End

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